A schedule of events through April 11....
A schedule of events through April 11. Films will be shown at six
venues: Edwards Big Newport, 300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach;
Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach; Edwards Island Cinemas
(two theaters, designated either Blue or Gold), 999 Newport Center
Drive, Newport Beach; Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente
Drive, Newport Beach; Adventures at Sea Theaters, 3101 West Coast
Highway, Newport Beach. Unless otherwise marked, tickets are $8 and
can be purchased at the box office or online at www.newportbeach
filmfest.com. For more information, check the web site or call (949)
253-2880.
* Denotes special event
TODAY
9 a.m.
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA
Adventures at Sea Theaters
United States /Hungary /Spain 2002
World Premiere
* DIRECTOR: Mark Swan
* SCREENWRITERS: Forrest S. Baker III, Mark Swan, Ken Cromar
* CAST: Amanda Waring, Jonathan Firth, Nigel Lambert
* RUNNING TIME: 86 minutes
The quest for the heart of true nobility takes Sebastian, a wise
old raven, on a search for the answer to an ancient riddle that will
save the ancient kingdom of Corazion. Prince Rollo seeks a princess
to help save Corazion and finds her by a chance encounter with a
kind-hearted peasant girl. This causes Rollo to ponder where true
beauty lies.
9:30 a.m.
TOUCHING WILD HORSES
Adventures at Sea Theaters
Canada, Germany, United Kingdom. France 2002
* DIRECTOR: Eleanore Lindo
* SCREENWRITER: Murray McRae
* CAST: Jane Seymour, Charles Martin Smith, Mark Rendall
Attended by Film Representatives
* RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
After 11-year-old Mark’s father and sister are killed in a car
accident, he is sent to live with his only relative, Aunt Fiona. She
lives on the remote Sable Island off Canada’s east coast. Fiona’s
strict routine and the confines of the island provide Mark with the
structure that he has been sorely lacking. Their delicate new
understanding is shattered when Mark disobeys Fiona’s edict against
interfering with the wild horses on the island. Mark and Fiona’s
relationship undergoes monumental shifts when he discovers that she
has a secret sorrow.
11 a.m.
CHILDREN’S SHORTS
Adventures at Sea Theaters
* BLUEGAROO
A 4-year-old girl named Tabitha meets Bluegaroo, the imaginary
6-foot tall, blue, flying kangaroo.
* HENRY’S GARDEN
A monster must find peace when his love of flowers, his only
pleasure, is threatened by the terrible transformation of his
environment.
* KANGAROO CREEK GANG
A game of real snakes and ladders begins when Mr. Lizard drops
down a hole after Kevin Kangaroo wishes he’d disappear.
* LITTLE RED PLANE
A toy plane carries a boy back for one last adventure with his
father.
* PAWS
The shocking truth about what your dog does at home while you are
away.
GANGS FROM ROSARIO (ROSARIGASINOS)
Edwards Island -- Blue
Argentina 2001
* DIRECTOR: Rodrigo Grande
* SCREENWRITER: Miguel Angel
* CAST: Alberto Saravia
* RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
Thirty years after a botched heist, Alberto Saravia is released
from jail, along with his comrade, Castor the Gimp. In spite of their
advanced years, they hope to unite their old gang and grab the hidden
loot. Crime, friendship and thwarted love pulse through this jovial
Argentine heist drama.
I LOVE JOHANN
Edwards Island -- Gold
Sweden 2003
U.S. Premiere
* DIRECTOR: Henrik Norrthon
* SCREENWRITER: Martin Jern
* CAST: Amelie Norgaard
* RUNNING TIME: 45 minutes
A brilliant independent film, shot without a director in an
anarchical production environment by a team of only four people. It’s
a mellow short telling summer story of teen Johan and his encounters
with Tove, Eva, Jakob and Carolina.
SHORTS (S10): USC SHORTS
Lido Theater
* SOGNATORE
The music of Vivaldi transports a boy from his bedroom to a
mystical stage where notes come alive and ride to the stars.
* I DREAMT OF BOMBAY
Robert Jones is forced to choose between the unfortunate truth and
a beautiful lie.
* LULLABY
A beautiful woman dances the night away.
* STRAIGHT WHITE MEN & ME
A bisexual Asian director examines her stereotypes of straight
white men in this sometimes hilarious, probing personal documentary.
* ELEVATOR
A sensuous ride through one man’s subconscious desires.
* MBOUTOUKOU
When his family doesn’t think he can take the responsibilities
left to him at his older brother’s departure, 12 year-old Napo sets
out to prove himself.
* UP
A prisoner dreams of fanciful flight from his dark subterranean
cell.
* CROSSING
A young street kid suspects that his life may be nothing more than
a bad dream and puts his theory to the test.
* DANCE WITH ME
On his 50th wedding anniversary, a mysterious stranger shows
Pierre that the greatest gift is the ability to appreciate what he
already has.
12 p.m.
WOMEN WITHOUT WINGS
Edwards Island -- Gold
Canada 2002
* DIRECTOR: Nicholas Kinsey
* SCREENWRITER: Nicholas Kinsey
* CAST: Katya Gardner
* RUNNING TIME: 109 minutes
Marjie is truly incapable of choosing between two lovers. She goes
to a family funeral in the mountains of Albania and steps into a past
of furious blood feuds and the ancient customs rooted in legend. She
is so enchanted by her new found life that she decides to become a
“vowed virgin,” a woman who lives out her life as a man, never
marrying or having children.
12:30 p.m.
THE SWEATBOX
Orange County Museum of Art
United Kingdom 2002
* DIRECTORS: John-Paul Davidson, Trudie Styler
* RUNNING TIME: 86 minutes
In 1997, Sting was asked by the Walt Disney Company to write the
music for a new animation feature called “Kingdom of the Sun.” The
film was eventually released as “The Emperor’s New Groove.” For the
first time in its history, Disney allowed an outside film crew into
its world to chronicle the nuts and bolts, and the blood, sweat and
tears of its animation. This was the bumpiest ride that anyone within
the studio could remember, and not what you would imagine in the cozy
world of Mickey Mouse.
1 p.m.
CINEMATOGRAPHER’S FORUM
Edwards Island -- Blue
1:30 p.m.
LABYRINTH (LAVIRINT)
Lido Theater
Yugoslavia 2002
* DIRECTOR: Mirces lau Lekik
* SCREENWRITERS: Igor Bojovic, Miroslav Lekic
* CAST: Svetozar Cvetkovic, Branislav Lecic, Dragan Nikolic,
Katarina Radivojevic, Maja Sablijic, Josif Tatic
* RUNNING TIME: 106 minutes
When Pop, a compulsive gambler, returns to his homeland after 20
years, he accompanies an old friend, Laki, to a seance. There he
receives a message from his past, from Zoran, a childhood friend
thought to have committed suicide long ago. The medium tells Pop that
Zoran did not kill himself -- he was killed. When Pop later meets
Zoran’s alleged killer, he finds himself in the midst of dangerous
events that will lead him to a place he never knew existed.
2 p.m.
SAINT MONICA
Edwards Island -- Gold
Canada 2002
West Coast Premiere
* DIRECTOR: Terrance Odette
* SCREENWRITER: Terrance Odette
* CAST: Gienevieve Buechner, Clare Coulter, Brigitte Bako
Attended by Film Representatives
* RUNNING TIME: 82 minutes
In the heart of Toronto, a tenacious young girl’s dream is to
participate as one of the angels in the annual church procession in
honor of the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary.” When Monica is denied
that chance, she steals the large archangel wings for herself. Losing
the wings on her way home, she finds them a few days later on the
back of a woman who lives in the ravine below the bridges that divide
the city.
B-17 FLYING LEGEND
Orange County Museum of Art
United States 2002
* DIRECTOR: Mark Feijo
* SCREENWRITER: Mark Feijo
* CAST: Susan Williams
Attended by director, producer
* RUNNING TIME: 52 minutes
During World War II, America fought a fearsome battle over the
skies in Europe. It was a decisive moment in the history of the
world. From 1942 to mid 1944, Germany had the advantage: experience,
years preparing for the inevitable air war and great engineers behind
extremely well-designed machines. One plane, however, was to overcome
all of these odds and prove that persistence was a much greater power
than fear. This airplane was the B-17 Flying Fortress, whose legacy
is unmatched in the history of aviation.
3:30 p.m.
STANDARD TIME
Edwards Island -- Blue
United States 2001
* DIRECTOR: Robert Cary
* SCREENWRITERS: Isabel Rose, Robert Cary
* CAST: Isabel Rose, Cameron Bancroft, Alix Corey, Ilana Levine,
Eartha Kitt, Victor Argo, Andrew McCarthy
Attended by director, principal cast
* RUNNING TIME: 99 minutes
Billie Golden is a struggling cabaret singer with a vivid
imagination. Unfortunately, her fantasies are shattered by the
reality of the third rate lounge where she performs. In the midst of
her confusion, Greg Ellenbogen, an old high school heartthrob, now a
successful corporate lawyer, comes back into her life. He offers her
almost everything she could ever desire. But when she meets Elliot,
an arrogant, bohemian musician she is forced to choose between the
luxuries Greg can give her and the one thing he can’t: a life filled
with music.
SPELLBOUND
Lido Theater
United States 2002
* DIRECTOR: Jeff Blitz
Attended by director, producer
* RUNNING TIME: 97 minutes
An intense, true-life experience of the National Spelling Bee as
seen through the eyes of eight driven young spellers. We share in
their private lives as they train for and compete in the ultimate
intellectual showdown. From the hardscrabble plains of Texas to the
manicured lawns of Connecticut, from the redneck Ozark countryside to
the troubled Washington, D.C. projects, Spellbound presents a
patchwork of real and modern American stories.
SHORTS (S15): JOURNEY THROUGH SHORTS
Orange County Museum of Art
* EAST SIDE
A skateboard journey to Asia and beyond.
* RAISE THE CANE
A documentary following 100 men and women dressed as Santa Claus
who make an annual pilgrimage to New York City.
4 p.m.
JUST DO IT (HAMYEONDOENDA)
Edwards Island -- Gold
South Korea 2000
West Coast Premiere
* DIRECTOR: Park Dae --Young
* SCREENWRITERS: Kwon In-Chan, Lee Young Park, Park Dae-Young
* CAST: Park Sang Yeon, Park Jin-Hee, Lee Beom-Su, Jeong Jun, An
Seok-hwan, Ok-suk, Park In-hwan, Na Moon-hee, Lee Yun-seong and Ko
Ho-kyeong
* RUNNING TIME: 93 minutes
Making a satire of Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It!,” director Park
Jae-Dong applies it to a middle-class family in South Korea who take
advantage of the “economic miracles” happening there in this age of
financial boom. In this particular instance, Park pokes fun at
insurance scams, and how the Korean bourgeoisie has picked up tricks
learned in the Western World.
5 p.m.
THE KRESS LOUNGE
Orange County Museum of Art
United States 2002
* DIRECTOR: Renie Oxley
* SCREENWRITER: Renie Oxley
* RUNNING TIME: 56 minutes
The story of 86-year-old Irene Kress, a Polish immigrant business
owner, and her refusal to conform, change or follow the
gentrification of Detroit. The Kress Lounge is the home she created
for many including the Purple Gang, Veronica Lake, Milton Berle and
even a horse named Trigger. The film covers the 65-year history and
present-day happenings through its unexpected sale and demolition.
6 p.m.
SHORTS (S1): GANGS OF NEW SHORTS
Edwards Island -- Blue
* RIDE
When a routine call goes horribly wrong, a young man finds himself
trapped in the back seat of a squad car with a killer behind the
wheel.
* GRACE
A tale about the choices we make and what we truly want our lives
to mean.
* BILL’S SEAT
A flat tire traps a New Yorker in the local bar of a small
Pennsylvania town.
* ONE
On the eve of their separation, the shared memories of two young
lovers coalesce in a single tragic instant.
* UNTITLED:003-EMBRYO
What began as a simple act of curiosity descends into madness as
Jason exploits other people’s dreams to fulfill his ultimate fantasy.
* GERANIUM PEACE (GERANIENFRIEDE)
An award winning, darkly humorous mosaic of erect steeples, fuming
men, airborne children, seething neighbors, shrewish housewives,
enraged clouds and rampaging dogs.
* HEADS AND TAILS
Brought together in the local fish store, a beautiful woman, a
mystical little boy and the bond between two brothers renew a
fisherman’s interrupted faith.
SHORTS (S11): OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS
Lido Theater
* DOG (INJA)
A South African farmer uses a Xhousa boy to teach his puppy to be
white man’s friend. Ten years later, both find themselves at the
mercy of the dog.
* WHY CAN’T WE BE A FAMILY AGAIN
A cinema verite portrait of two brothers who long to be reunited
with their mother.
* THE COLLECTOR OF BEDFORD STREET
When a 59-year-old retarded charity worker needs help, his West
Village Manhattan community comes to his aid.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Edwards Island -- Gold
United States 2002
* DIRECTOR: Kristen Coury
* SCREENWRITER: Joseph Triebwasser
* CAST: Tony Lo Bianco, Anna Maria Alberghetti
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
Stephen Torcelli and Danny Russo are a hunky and stylish Manhattan
couple who live in a perfectly appointed row house with plenty of
closet space and alphabetized skin-care products. When Stephen’s
parents announce a surprise visit, Stephen and Danny must scramble to
prepare the performance of a lifetime. Not that they’re closeted.
It’s just that Stephen can’t let his parents know that he and Danny
are ruthless mob enforcers for Don Patrizzi!.
6:30 p.m.
THE LAST ZAPATISTAS, FORGOTTEN HEROES (LOS ULTIMOS ZAPATISTAS,
HEROES OLVIDADOS)
Orange County Museum of Art
Mexico 2001 * DIRECTOR: Francesco Taboada Tabone
* SCREENWRITER: Sarah Perrig
Attended by Director
* RUNNING TIME: 70 minutes
Organized in 1910 by Emiliano Zapata, peasants of Morelos took up
arms and directly challenged 400 years of Spanish-style Mexican rule.
Elders of the Mexican revolution tell us the story one more time,
only this time, we listen 100 years deeper into the struggle for
indigenous and peasant rights.
8 p.m.
SHORTS (S19): MENDING SHORTS
Orange County Museum of Art
* ONE LIFE
David Harlow Rice didn’t expect a plane to fly into his office
building September 11, nor did his family expect to be mourning his
loss one year later.
* IMPROBABLE PAIRS
A series of short film segments about pairs of people who have
made peace with each other against truly extraordinary odds.
8:30 p.m.
EDDIE (EDI)
Edwards Island -- Blue
Poland 2002
DIRECTOR: Piotr Trzaskalski
SCREENWRITERS: Piotr Trzaskalski, Wojciech Lepianka
CAST: Henryk Golebiewski, Jacek Braciak, Jacek Lenartowicz,
Grzegorz Stelmaszewski, Ola Kisio, Dominik Bak
Attended by Film Representatives
RUNNING TIME: 97 minutes
Two gangster brothers who rule the neighborhood beat a fellow
scrap picker to death. This is the brothers’ way of enforcing
payments for illegally sold alcohol. The brothers want Eddie to tutor
their 17 year old sister, Princess, whom they have been bringing up
since the death of their parents. The brothers chose Eddie for his
avid reading and his ugliness, a guarantee that the feisty girl will
not sleep with him. Three months later, Princess is pregnant. The
brothers’ suspicions fall on Gypsy, a young supplier of illegal
alcohol. In order to protect her beloved, Princess tells them Eddie
is the father.
CASTLE IN THE SKY*
Animation Spotlight
Lido Theater
Japan 1986
DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki
SCREENWRITER: Hayao Miyazaki
CAST: James van der Beek, Cloris Leachman, Anna Paquin, Mark
Hamill, Andy Dick, Mandy Patinkin
RUNNING TIME: 124 minutes
Hayao Miyazaki’s engaging films are known and loved across the
globe for their compelling characters, entertaining plots and
stunning animation. “Castle In The Sky” takes audiences on a
fantastic journey to a mythical retro-future full of amazing
landscapes and wonderful flying machines. Pazu (James van der Beek),
a young boy, finds the beautiful girl Sheeta (Anna Paquin) slowly
descending from the sky wearing a crystal, one that allows her to
float in the air. Sheeta can’t remember the crystal’s secret, but it
becomes the target of a band of rabble-rousing sky pirates, led by
their hilarious leader (Cloris Leachman).
A reception will be held after the screening at the Hard Rock
Cafe. $20. Casual.
RED TROUSERS: THE LIFE OF THE HONG KONG STUNTMEN*
Hong Kong Spotlight
Edwards Island -- Gold
Hong Kong 2003
World Premiere
* RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
In this dazzling combination of documentary and short film hosted
by and starring Robin Shou, star of Mortal Kombat, the death-defying
feats performed by the world’s greatest stuntmen are profiled through
interviews and clips that showcase their work. Intercutting with the
documentary footage is the short film “Lost Time,” a futuristic
martial arts adventure in the style of Alex Proya’s “Dark City,”
where one can appreciate the stuntmen’s extraordinary achievement in
their final cinematic form.
The reception featuring a Wushu Martial Arts exhibition and Lion
Dance will follow the screening at the Hard Rock Cafe. $20. Casual.
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